The price of the morning paper

You may not be aware of this, but today is World Press Freedom Day, a UN declaration meant to drive awareness of the contributions made to civilization by members of the Fourth Estate around the world. Sadly, in 2018, the environment in which journalists work is increasingly hostile, encouraged by dictators and democratically-elected dictator wannabes on all continents.

Thomas Jefferson once said of democracy, “Where the press is free, and every man able to read, all is safe.” Well, times have certainly changed, eh?

Reporters without Borders puts the United States at 45^th out of its annual listing of 180 nations WRT freedom of the press. That means we’re behind all Nordics (who pretty much have a lock on the top slots), Burkina Faso, Namibia, Estonia, Samoa, Surinam, and all Western European nations except for Italy.

Woo-hoo—we haven’t killed any journalists this year. So far. But the Kleptocrat and his fellow info-phobes are pushing for ever tighter restrictions on press freedom, and the threat is very real. He’s declared journalists “enemies of the American people” (a phrase borrowed from Joseph Stalin, although I’m betting that he has no sense of historical irony, since he has no sense of history); they’re subject to arrest while covering events; they’ve been physically assaulted, as well as being doxed and receiving death threats. Increasingly US reporters’ electronic devices are subject to search at US borders, and foreign ones are denied entry.

You’ll no doubt recall his campaign rallies that featured reporters penned in while his cultists threatened them, with his gleeful egging them on.

Meanwhile, one of Li’l Donnie Two-Scoops’ besties and role models, Rodrigo Duterte (The Philippines, number 133), famously announced, “Just because you’re a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, if you’re a son of a bitch.” The definition of “son of a bitch” amounts to, “if you print things I don’t like,” which of course is echoed in the White House today. Unaccountably, Duterte hasn’t executed any reporters this year, either, although one was murdered a couple of days ago by person or persons unknown.

Vladimir Putin (Russia, number 148) also hasn’t officially killed any journalists this year, but many have been murdered in crimes that go unpunished, and he’s got a lot of reporters and bloggers in jail.

In general, bringing news to your doorstep, your TV or your device is a dangerous business. Last week alone, nine journalists were killed in Kabul in a bombing attack that appeared to target them; another was shot shortly thereafter. Last month three reporters and their driver were kidnapped and murdered in Ecuador. Another three have been killed in India since the beginning of the year. The global toll last year was 82 murdered; so far this year 32 gave been killed, and we’re not even halfway through the twelvemonth.

Here’s a graphic from Reporters Without Borders:

Most of these journalists aren’t even officially war correspondents; it’s just that—these days—the line between combat and non-combat zones has blurred, literally and figuratively. It’s an appalling thought that we here in the land of the First Amendment are sinking into shithole status, thanks to the ministrations of the GOPigs, but here we are.

Yes, I know that there's plenty wrong with the basket of odds and sods that constitutes "the media" these days. And there are plenty of propagandists passing themselves off as journalists. Moreover, the whole business model of delivering news and commentary has suffered multiple body blows during the Internet Age, and it's often hard to tell news from entertainment. (And don't even get me started on that bastard known as "infotainment". Nonetheless, Mr. Jefferson was right.)

Something I recall from my days working on a daily paper is that journalists outdrink just about any class of professionals (including the three branches of the military I’ve been associated with)—with the possible exception of cops. I don’t know about you, but this evening I believe I’ll lift a glass to those stalwarts who risk their safety and their lives to keep me informed. God love ya, all of ya.